Community Services
A range of information and fact sheets to help keep your children safe
Protecting children from abuse and neglect - CLICK HERE
Anyone who suspects, on reasonable grounds, that a child or young person is at risk of being neglected or physically, sexually or emotionally abused, should report it to Community Services.
You can make a report by phoning the Child Protection Helpline on 132 111 (TTY 1800 212 936) for the cost of a local call, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Raising Children Network
Provides information on many safety topics and video clips of safety demonstrations. Helps parents and carers understand that risks vary depending on the age of the child. Click on the links for different aged children.
Also has a fantastic interactive home safety guide HERE

Kidsafe
A comprehensive website with information about how to keep your family safe in a variety of settings.

The Children's Hospital at Westmead
Safety Factsheets: a comprehensive range of factsheets on all aspects of safety for your child ~ baby products and furniture, home safety, outdoor play safety and road safety.

The Australian Council on Children and the Media
Promotes healthy choices and stronger voices in children’s media; a comprehensive source of information about children and the media, inclduing a Kid's Zone and movie reviews to help you assess movies' suitability for your children.

Royal Life Saving Society Australia
Royal Life Saving Society - Australia works to prevent drowning and facilitate healthy, active lifestyles by equipping all Australians with water safety skills. Lots of water safety information and advice for at home, at the pool and when out and about. Includes free Home Pool Safety Checklist HERE

Learn to Swim
Children learn water safety and how to be confident in the water through learn to swim programs. There are several learn to swim providers in the Shellharbour area.

Inflatable and Portable Pools
Kids can drown without a sound, and the risks are as high for these types of pools. Be aware of the risks and your obligations to prevent drowning.

Drowning Prevention
Some valuable information from Kids Health - The Children's Hospital at Westmead website. This website includes information on Inflatable or portable swimming pools, Skimmer box injuries, Swimming pool safety and Water feature safety. There is also links to information on fencing your pool.

Water Safety for Children
Young children love water and it can be fun for everybody, as well as great exercise. But water safety for kids depends on you or another grown-up always watching your child when in, on or around any water. Drowning can happen quickly and quietly. Information included in this site: Drowning: what you need to know, Water safety around the house, Water safety around dams, creeks, ponds and tanks; and Water safety around beaches, lakes and rivers.

The Safer Drivers Course is carefully tailored to provide young learners (aged 17-25) with a positive and awareness building way to reduce their vulnerability to risks on the road. The course’s aim is to help young people learning to drive be better prepared for when they transition to solo driving, understanding that they are at their highest risk for being in a fatal crash in the 6 month period directly after they receive their P1 provisional licence.

Child Restraint Evaluation Program
Information about choosing and using child car restraints is available through the Child Restraint Evaluation Program website
Doing the safest thing for your child can be very confusing - there are many websites with guidelines about car restraints for children. Ask 5 parents/carers and you're likely to get 5 different answers!
A set of guidelines to help cut through the confusion has been developed by a biomechanical engineer working with Neuroscience Research Australia - download HERE
There is also other information about child injury in motor vehicle accidents on the Neuroscience Research Australia websiteREMEMBER:
• Correct use of restraints should always be NOT NEGOTIABLE with children - don't let them argue
• Size is more important than weight when deciding which type of restraint is safest
• Don't move them to the next type of restraint too soon

Kids and Traffic
An early childhood road safety education program at Macquarie University. This free resource is available to all licensed children's services, plus free downloads, eg. songs about road safety and fun educational activities.

Tips for surviving (& even enjoying) car trips with children from Shellharbour City Council staff - click HERE